Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, speaks after she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, speaks after she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the ... more

Tom Penders, of Stratford, representing his father Jim Penders; David Strong, of Monroe; Ed Finnegan, of Stratford; Sue Merz, of Greenwich; and Wes Matthews, of Bridgeport; were announced as the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

Tom Penders, of Stratford, representing his father Jim Penders; David Strong, of Monroe; Ed Finnegan, of Stratford; Sue Merz, of Greenwich; and Wes Matthews, of Bridgeport; were announced as the six inductees ... more

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, before she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, before she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of ... more

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, smiles after she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, smiles after she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the ... more

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, speaks after she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, speaks after she was announced as one of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the ... more

David Strong, of Monroe, speaks with Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, after they were announced as two of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

David Strong, of Monroe, speaks with Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, after they were announced as two of the six inductees into the Fairfield County ... more

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, laughs with Ed Finnegan, of Stratford, after they were announced as two of the six inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut in Stamford Thursday, June 28, 2012. less

Sue Merz, a native of Greenwich and gold medalist with the 1998 U.S. women's hockey team, laughs with Ed Finnegan, of Stratford, after they were announced as two of the six inductees into the Fairfield County ... more

STAMFORD -- Greenwich native Sue Merz began her athletic career as a wide-eyed, 6-year-old goalie trying to keep up with the boys in the neighborhood.

"We had a big neighborhood full of boys, and street hockey was one of the sports we played," Merz said. "They would throw me in net as a goalie and would keep shooting tennis balls at me."

It wasn't too long before the young girl playing street hockey with the boys was helping the U.S. women's hockey team win the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

"I'm sure some of those boys take ownership today at my success. I know my brother did," Merz said. "I think they all played a part in helping me get better as an athlete."

Also a member of the U.S. team that claimed the silver medal in the 2002 Olympics, Merz was one of six sports figures honored at the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame at the University of Connecticut's Stamford campus on Broad Street on Thursday. Merz; Bridgeport native and former NBA player Wes Matthews; longtime softball star Ed Finnegan, of Stratford; and former high school and collegiate basketball star Harold Jensen, of Trumbull, were announced as this year's inductees into the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame, along with former Masuk High girls basketball coach Dave Strong and the late coaching great Jim Penders Sr.

"It's great. I've been a part of this foundation for some time and have watched wonderful athletes inducted into the Hall of Fame," said Merz, who is on the advisory board of the Fairfield County Sports Commission. "I'm excited to be included among those great athletes."

A 1990 Greenwich High graduate who grew up in Glenville, Merz played hockey with the boys on the Greenwich Blues, while also displaying her prowess in baseball, softball and lacrosse. Greenwich High didn't have a girls hockey team at the time, so she played for the West Hartford-based Polar Bears.

"My father was a sports fan who drove me to Hartford every weekend in the winter from when I was 14 to 16 years old," Merz said. "There was no team to play for here, so my father had to put in so many hours each week to get me where I needed to go to play."

"Aside from winning it, the opening ceremonies were awesome beyond words," said Merz, who registered one goal and five assists in the 1998 Olympics. "Walking through the tunnel with 80,000 people there was so emotional. It was monumental in my world."

Merz, who lives in Milford and is employed by I-Flow -- a company offering medical devices -- also relished her experience at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. Canada took the gold that year.

"Our second Olympics, we were a more seasoned team, and being on our home turf made it extra special," she said. "We had a phenomenal team that year and were so dominant. We just weren't at our best the last game of the season, which was unfortunate. But we still came home with the silver medal."

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX -- an amendment that protects against sex discrimination in athletics as well as many other aspects of education. Merz said she knows how significant Title IX has been for women's athletics.

"I am a product of Title IX, and some of my colleagues and teammates are for sure," said Merz, who is getting married in September. "People having that vision 40 years ago is a phenomenal thing. We, as athletes, benefited from it because it helped us get to places we wouldn't have gotten to. It's great to see more high school and club teams out there."